Ezekiel 45:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Previously, it was established what portion by weight and measurement should be offered to the prince; similarly, it is now specified that one ram must be offered from the flock of two hundred sheep tended by Israel as a sacrifice, and for a burnt offering, and a peace offering for the purification of the house of Israel, says the Lord God. Regarding the phrase “of those which Israel shepherded,” the Hebrew text translates as "memmasce," which Aquila and Symmachus translate as “from the waters,” while the LXX and Theodotion refer to it as “from the watering places,” suggesting that the prince’s sheep should only graze in fertile areas. As previously noted, the sixtieth part of what is determined by weight and measure is to be given to the prince; now it is commanded that the two-hundreth part be offered from the livestock. The whole nation must adhere to this law concerning offerings to the prince, for through him, burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings are presented for the people at all feasts, ensuring the cleansing of the house of God. Thus, it is evident that just as the people must present burnt offerings to the prince, so too must the prince offer sacrifices on behalf of the people, who can only be understood allegorically as the Lord Saviour. He is the one who selects a ram from two hundred animals, or as noted in the Hebrew text, "βο'σκημα," which encompasses all forms of livestock, not only a ram, and he chooses the creature that grazes in the watered areas—the Scriptures. He can affirm, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters" (Psalm 23:1-2). These are the watering locations where Jacob guided his flocks to drink and conceive, producing fruit for the Lord according to the color of the branches (Genesis 30). Instead of “sacrificium” or “θύσι'α,” Aquila and Symmachus render it as “gift,” which in Hebrew is referred to as “manna,” typically signifying offerings like fine flour, yam groats, and oil rather than animal sacrifices. The burnt offering pertains to what is entirely offered to God and consumed by sacred fire. The peace offering is presented for reconciliation with God, as the apostle states, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20), and elsewhere, “In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself” (2 Cor. 5:19). Moreover, this prince, to whom the initial offerings are made, is also a king, as indicated by the inscription on the cross written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. When the Jews urged the removal of this significant inscription, Pilate replied in the presence of the Gentiles, “What I have written, I have written” (John 19:22). Concerning the duties of the prince, it is beautifully emphasized that the priestly role requires the fulfillment of sacrifices and drink offerings, made from wine, for the people during all feasts, including at the new moons, signifying the beginning of the month, and at the sabbaths—when, shrouded in darkness, the light of the moon begins to shine and during the rest of the Sabbath—so that he may conduct sin offerings and purify the house of Israel, which represents the Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth. For it is the household of the living God and the people of Israel that require the cleansing of their transgressions.